Water Use Regulation,
Legislative Awareness and
Company Water Policy Assessment
The University of Georgia
The Greenhouse*A*Syst Publication Series
A Program Designed To Assess and Manage Issues
Involving Our Natural Resources and Environment
Table of Contents
Greenhouse*A*Syst Program Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Water Use Regulation, Legislative and Company Water Policy Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Assessment Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Summary of Assessment Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Contact Information and Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Appendix A, Example of Local Ordinance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Action Plan Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
The University of Georgia
The Greenhouse*A*Syst Publication Series
A Program Designed To Assess and Manage
Issues Involving Our Natural Resources and Environment
Home*A*Syst is a national program cooperatively supported by the USDA Cooperative
State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES), USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This publication follows the Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst (FAS) grower self-assessment
model of dividing farming management into a series of issues, dividing each issue into
categories, including educational materials, and following up the self-assessment with the
development of action plans to address the key areas of concern. Universities that have *A*syst
publication series include Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Wisconsin. New series have recently
been successfully developed at major universities including Orchard*A*Syst, and Food *A*Syst.
The Greenhouse*A*Syst publication Series has been developed to assist green-house
owners with the task of assessing three management issues: Water management, Environmental
Risk and Business Profitability. To date, 6 publications in this 12-part series are being reviewed
and 6 more are being developed.
The Greenhouse*A*Syst series of publications is a confidential self-assessment program
you can use to evaluate your greenhouse business for risks associated with water management
issues. Armed with facts and figures, you will then be able to reeval-uate your management
strategies and determine ways to conserve water and minimize those risks. By following the
guidelines, you will be able to establish a formal company-wide water conservation plan.
Implementation of this plan will facilitate more efficient use of resources and impart significant
savings in water use, fertilizer and pesticides.
This bulletin will also help you establish a water conservation document you may find
useful if and when state or local water authorities develop policies or implement water
restrictions. Most water authorities are favorably impressed with businesses that have developed
water conservation plans.
Greenhouse*A*Syst risk assessment consists of a series of questions that will walk you
through the considerations to be taken into account while evaluating your business. In order to
gain the full benefit of the Greenhouse*A*Syst program, we recommend that you use all 12
publications in the series in the following order.
3
Risk Area
Greenhouse*A*Syst Publication
Suggested Order
W ater Source and Expansion
Available
1
Delivery and Technology
Available
2
W ater M anagement
Available
3
W ater Quality Assessment
Available
4
W ater Recycling/Pollution Prevention
Available
5
W ater Regulations/Company Policy
Available
6
Fertility Management
In development
7
Operation Safety and Biosecurity
In development
8
Shipping, Transportation, Material Handling
In development
9
Greenhouse Energy Utilization
In development
10
Time and Labor Management
In development
11
Greenhouse Maintenance
In development
12
4
Water Use Regulation, Legislative Awareness
and Company Water Policy Assessment
Publication #6 in the Series
Paul A. Thomas, Extension Horticulturist
Bodie V. Pennisi, Extension Horticulturist
Rose Mary Seymour, Pollution Prevention, Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Forrest Stegelin, Extension Economist
Do you know if your county or city has a commercial water use ordinance?
What Can This Bulletin Series
Do for Me?
Almost all do, and many have extensive regulations of which growers are unaware. Many are
currently drafting those regulations in light of
recent droughts, water shortages and water disputes among cities, states and farmers. You may
need to get involved soon.
The water available and the rights to extract
and use that water for agricultural operations is
being challenged in many parts of the United
States. As our population grows, water extraction
from rivers, deep wells and lakes is being scrutinized by environmental groups, legislators and
your fellow business owners. Water shortages are
real issues in many parts of the United States.
Many legislative changes are occurring regarding
water use rights, and most communities are involved in rewriting local ordinances. Greenhouse
business owners must keep up with the current
status of water use legislation. As pressure to conserve grows, business owners are expected to have
a company policy regarding water conservation
practices and a plan for reducing water use in the
future. This section will help you develop a plan to
conserve water resources and establish a company
policy. It will also ask you to become more aware
and involved in local water use legislation. By
completing this section, you will reduce the risk of
being caught off-guard by water shortages due to
legislative and social issues in your community.
Have there been any water use restrictions in
effect in your community in the past 3 years?
If so, your commissioners, mayors and water
authority representative are sensitized to water
use.
Is your region currently in a drought or low-water
supply situation?
The speed at which new legislation is passed
may be accelerated. Make yourself aware of any
state legislation that might be considered. Most
states are doing just that.
Have any operations near you been asked by
officials to conserve or cease watering due to a
shortage?
This is happening all over the United States,
especially along the west coast, Florida, Georgia
and Texas.
The purpose of this section is to assess your
legislative awareness and involvement in local
water use legislation and policy.
Are you familiar with your state regulations and
the fines and penalties prescribed for improper
was release, well or groundwater combination?
Do you know which agency has jurisdiction over
water rights and water use in your area?
If not, can you afford not to be?
In almost all states, the local water authority
(e.g., county) has prime jurisdiction.
5
health and hygiene of the communities. Be aware
that your water use is a secondary concern for
them, so in the event of water shortages, you may
be limited as to the amount of water made available to you. Or you may be required to show a
certain amount of water use reduction during
shortage times. To do this, you need to know how
much water you normally use, how efficient you
are with water management, what conservation
measures you have in place, and what further
water reductions you can afford to make in times
of limited water supply. Another way to manage
this is to have alternative water sources to use
when the local utility water supply is restricted or
not available.
Local utilities will have a backflow prevention
equipment requirement for any commercial water
user, so be sure your connection to this water
supply has the legally required backflow prevention devices.
State and Local Regulations
on Water Use
Water Quantity
Water use in Georgia is currently governed by a
“regulated riparian” policy. This means that landowners who have direct access to water on their
land may use that water any way they desire as
long as the use if beneficial, not wasteful, and does
not prevent others with the same rights to the
water source to be affected by that use. State law at
this time requires any agricultural water withdrawals from ground water or surface water that
are greater than 100,000 gallons per day (GPD) on
average in any month be permitted with an agricultural water use permit. It is generally assumed
that any well that pumps more than 69 gallons per
minute fits the criteria for needing an agricultural
water use permit.
In 2003, the Georgia General Assembly passed a
new law requiring all agricultural water permits to
be metered. The metering program is carried out
by the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission or their representative in an area, which is
most often the local Soil and Water Conservation
District. Contact your district for more information
on when your geographic area will have meters
installed.
Agricultural water use permits are administered
differently from other kinds of water use permits
because they do no have any reporting requirement attached to them at this time. This condition
is likely to change in the near future with the
water issues Georgia is facing. Currently, a storage
pond where water is recycled from does not require an additional water use permit if the source
for filling the pond has been permitted, but this is
also subject to laws that may change. You need to
pay attention to any new laws concerning agricultural water use permitting.
You may also be constrained by local water use
limitations in local government ordinances, but
this is unlikely unless you are actually receiving
some of your water supply from local water utilities. If you do, the utility can set guidelines and
restrictions on its treated water uses according to
the need for conservation. The primary objective
of a water utility is to supply water for maintaining
Water Quality
Water quality issues are another source of regulation that can impact your operation. In Georgia,
the Environmental Protection Division and the
Regional Development Centers of the Department
of Community Affairs are involved all over the
state with local stakeholders in developing Total
Maximum Daily Loads for preventing pollution of
surface waters in the state. If water from your
operation is within a watershed where TMDLs are
being developed, then you are a potential stakeholder in the process. The requirements of the
resulting TMDL plan could place constraints you
the water quality of runoff from your land or
water moving to ground water from your operation. For a complete discussion of surface water
quality issues in Georgia, please see Hawkins et al.,
2002.
How do you know if your operation is within a
watershed where TMDLs are being developed?
First, be aware of a watershed or watersheds
where your land, operations and water supply are
located. You can find out from your local county
extension agent. The county agent will also be
aware of any TMDL development processes ongoing for that watershed-stream segment. TMDLs
are developed where there is a documented water
quality problem in a stream segment, lake or
6
waterway. Your land and operations may or may
not be in a watershed dealing with TMDL planning, but the TMDL process in on-going and the
status of any stream segment can change if new
information shows the stream segment to be
impaired.
You may not wish to spend a dime right now,
but having the plans will certainly show legislators
and regulators you are aware, concerned and prepared to act.
Are you politically active? Do you attend
meetings and events to get to know your local
legislators?
Developing a Water Conservation
Policy for Your Company
It is prudent to be familiar with the local authorities and legislators who manage water use. Get
to know them, remember their names, be aware of
what they believe in and what they work for.
Know what goals they have for your district or
community in regard to water conservation.
Do you hold staff meetings where issues of water
conservation could be addressed as a regular
agenda item?
Encouraging staff to bring up water issues may
provide you with timely and important information that will allow you to make significant
improvement or avoid costly problems.
For more information on your local water legislation and water ordinances, refer to the Georgia
Water and Pollution Control Association Web site
— www.gwpca.org/cu-info/utilities.htm. The
following is a list of current local water authorities
in Georgia. Boldface sources have Web pages you
may visit.
Do you have options written out that address
water source and water use issues that could be
addressed in the future?
Athens-Clarke County
City of Hapeville
Consolidated Utilities
Augusta-Richmond County
Banks County Utilities
Bartow County
Butts County Water & Sewer Authority
Callaway Gardens
Carroll County Water Authority
Cauley Creek Water Reclamation, LLC
Chatsworth Water Works
Cherokee County WSA
City of Adel
City of Ashburn
City of Atlanta
City of Austell
City of Baxley
City of Blackshear
City of Brunswick
City of Cairo
City of Calhoun
City of Carrollton
City of Cartersville
City of Cedartown
City of Chickamauga
City of Clarkesville
City of Cleveland
City of College Park
City of Hartwell
City of Hephzibah
City of Hiawassee
City of Hinesville
City of Jackson
City of Jesup
City of Kingsland
City of LaGrange
City of Lawrenceville
City of Loganville
City of Marietta
City of McDonough
City of Metter
City of Milledgeville
City of Millen
City of Montezuma
City of Moultrie
City of Perry
City of Pine Lake
City of Powder Springs
City of Richmond Hill
City of Rome
City of Roswell
City of Savannah
City of Social Circle
Coweta County W & S
Dalton Utilities
DeKalb County
Douglasville-Douglas Co. Water & Sewer
Ellijay-Gilmer County Water Sewer Authority
Etowah Water & Sewer Authority
Fayette County Water System
Fitzgerald Water, Light & Bond Commission
Floyd County Water Department
Forsyth County
Fort Valley Utility Management
Fulton County
Glynn County Utilities Management
Gwinnett County
Hall County
Haralson County Water Authority
Heard County Water Authority
Henry County Water & Sewer Authority
Jackson County Water & Sewer Authority
Jasper County Water & Sewer Authority
Jekyll Island Authority
Lake Arrowhead Utility Company
Lamar County Water & Sewer Authority
Lee County Utilities Authority
Lowndes County
7
City of Commerce
City of Cordele
City of Cornelia
City of Covington
City of Cumming
City of Dahlonega
City of Dawson
City of Donalsonville
City of Elberton
City of Fayetteville
City of Flovilla
City of Fort Oglethorpe
City of Franklin Springs
City of Gainesville
City of Garden City
City of Gray
City of Griffin
City of Hamilton
City of Sparks
City of Statesboro
City of Stockbridge
City of Sylvester
City of Thomson
City of Thomasville Utilities
City of Tifton
City of Toccoa
City of Valdosta
City of Villa Rica
City of Warner Robins
City of West Point
City of Woodstock
Clayton County Water Authority
Cobb County Water System
Cobb-Marietta Water Authority
Columbia County Water
Columbus Water Works
Lumpkin County Water Authority
Macon Water Authority
OMI, Inc.
Newnan Utilities
Newton County Water & Sewage Authority
Nolta Water Authority
Oconee County Utility
Paulding County Water Authority
Peachtree City Water & Sewerage Authority
Polk County Water Authority
Putnam County
Rockdale County
Town of Roopville
Walker County WSA
Walton County WSA
White County Water & Sewer Authority
City of Shiloh
Greenhouse*A*Syst Risk Assessment
of Water Regulation and Legislative Awareness
Instructions for Completing the Risk Assessment
For each subject given in the left-most column, read through each column and then select the
description that best describes your operation. Do not rate practices that do not apply to your
operation. Record the risk rating value in column 6 (the right-most column), and then calculate the
overall risk rating for this section at the end of each section. We will use these ratings to assess the
overall water related risk of your operation at the end of the document.
Low Risk
4
Low-M oderate
3
M oderate-High
2
Knowledge of state
and local water use
policies
Hard copy of state
and local water use
policies available on
the premises.
Knowledge of local
and/or state water
use policies and their
source.
Aware that policies
may exist but unaware
of details or source.
No knowledge of
water use policies.
Knowledge of state
and local water
quality policies
Hard copy of state
and local water quality policies available
on the premises.
Knowledge of local
and/or state water
quality policies and
their source.
Aware that policies
may exist but unaware
of details or source.
No knowledge of
water quality
policies.
Knowledge of local
regulatory authority
over water issues
Hard copy of address
and contact information available on the
premises
Knowledge of
address and contact
information
Aware that a water
authority exists but no
specific information
known.
No knowledge of
local water
authority.
8
High Risk
1
Rank Your
Site
Low Risk
4
Low-M oderate
3
M oderate-High
2
High Risk
1
Knowledge of local
community water
use ordinances
Hard copy of water
use ordinances
available on the
premises.
Knowledge of water
use ordinances.
Aware that water use
ordinances may exist
but unaware of details
or source.
No knowledge of
water use
ordinances.
Company water use
policy
Hard copy of
company water use
policy developed
and available on the
premises.
Company water use
policy is under
development.
Company water use
policy is being
considered.
No policy exists or is
being considered.
Knowledge of
required backflow
prevention
technology
Hard copy of state
regulations available
on the premises.
Knowledge of state
regulations.
Aware of state
regulations.
No knowledge of
state regulations.
Backflow prevention
technology
Backflow prevention
equipment compliant with current
state laws is in place.
--------------------
Backflow device not
confirmed compliant
with state regulations.
No backflow
prevention.
Water use fact
sheets and
conservation options
Water use fact sheets
available on the
premises.
Development of
water use fact sheets
begun.
Water use fact sheets
and options are being
considered.
No water use fact
sheets or options
contemplated at this
time.
Involvement with
state grower
association
Member and active
in conservation
issues.
Passive member but
keep informed with
association
newsletter.
Passive member
without participation.
Not a member.
Time commitment to
water conservation
issues
Regularly meet with
legislators and
government officials.
Occasionally volunteer to meet with
legislators and
government officials.
Occasionally communicate with legislators and government
officials.
No participation.
Ranking Totals
÷
Total Areas Ranked
=
W ater Quality Risk Rating
____________
÷
________________
=
____________________
9
Rank Your
Site
Summarizing, Evaluating Your Greenhouse*A*Syst
Assessment Results and Identifying Action Steps
The purpose of this section is to help you summarize your
overall risk to your business from water related issues.
Once you have filled out the seven sections of
risk assessment, you may summarize the results in
the table provided below. This will allow you to
easily see what areas your company needs to
reduce risk in and where you need to make improvement. An overall risk value for the company
is the last step in the process.
require planning or prioritizing before you take
action. All activities identified as “high risk” with a
ranking of “1” should be listed in your action plan
developed from this assessment. Rankings of “2”
should be examined in greater details to determine the exact level of risk and attention given
accordingly.
S TEP 1.
Identify Areas Determined to be at Risk
S TEP 2.
Determine Your Overall Risk Ranking
Fill in this summary of your Greenhouse*A*
Syst Assessment for Your Operation.
This value provides a general idea of how your
water use practices might be affecting your efficiency of water use and your understanding of
proper watering practices and maintaining good
water quality in your operations and impacts to
surface and groundwater.
Risk Area
Greenhouse*A*
Syst Publication
Overall Risk
Rating
Water Source
Bulletin 1274
Delivery and Technology
Bulletin 1275
Water Management
Bulletin 1276
Water Quality
Bulletin 1277
3.6 to 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Low Risk
Water Recycling/
Pollution Prevention
Bulletin 1278
2.6 to 3.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Low to Moderate Risk
Legislative Awareness/
Company Policy
Bulletin 1279
Water Use Risk Ranking
Level of Risk
1.6 to 2.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moderate Risk
1.0 to 1.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . High Risk
Total Overall Risk Level
for Water (Average of 6)
This ranking gives you an idea of how your
water use practices might be affecting your business success and conservation of water. This ranking should serve only as a very general guide, and
not as a precise diagnosis since it represents the
average of many individual rankings.
* Bulletins are all Georgia Cooperative Extension bulletins; visit
http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications/
Low risk practices (4s) are ideal and should be
your goal. Low to moderate risk practices (3s) provide reasonable results and protection. Moderate
to high risk practices (2s) provide inadequate
protection in many circumstances. High risk practices (1s) are inadequate and pose a high risk for
causing environmental, health, economic or regulatory problems.
High risk practices, rankings of “1,” require
immediate attention. Some may only require little
effort to correct, while others could be major time
commitments or costly to modify. These may
S TEP 3.
Transfer Information on Risk to a Formal
Plan for Improving Your Water Management and Use Practices
From the results of this assessment and after
studying the provided guidelines and facts section, outline a plan of changes you want to incorporate into your operations with a timetable on
10
when you will achieve these changes. A plan can
always be amended and changed due to new
information, but if you do not make a plan with
the new knowledge about your own practices that
you have gained, then odds of follow through
with real changes is unlikely. The plan outline can
be as brief or as detailed as you want to make it.
Be sure and note where you need to gather more
information or consult with someone in your plan
so that you will take action only after careful
consideration of complex issues.
tors that your company is serious about water
management. Such documents will greatly improve how your business is viewed in the
community.
S TEP 6.
Implement the Policy
Your policy document stands as a symbol of
your commitment to resource preservation. Consistent implementation will yield greater profits
and better relations with your community.
S TEP 4.
Develop A Formal Action Plan
References
Hawkins, G.L., and D. Thomas. 2002. Protecting
Georgia’s Surface Water Resources. Cooperative
Extension, the University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Bulletin 1217.
Simply put, assign specific staff to accomplish
specific tasks in a known period of time. If more
information is needed to make appropriate decisions, delegate specific fact-finding tasks to
personnel best suited to accomplishing the task.
Set goals and time lines based upon realistic
expenditures of time and resources. Have each
individual task written up for the entire team to
assess and put into the larger context of the
company. A formal action plan form is provided
in the Appendix.
Author Information:
Paul A. Thomas is an Associate Professor of
Floriculture, Horticulture Dept., The University of
Georgia, 706-542-2340 e-mail: pathomas@uga.edu.
Forrest E. Stegelin is an Associate Professor of
Agricultural Economics, Ag. Economics Dept., The
University of Georgia, 706-542-0850, e-mail:
fstegelin@agecon.uga.edu
S TEP 5.
Develop a Company Water Use and
Monitoring Policy
Rose Mary Seymour is a Public Service Assistant In
Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Griffin
Experiment Station, Griffin, GA. 770-229-3214, email: Rseymour@griffin.peachnet.edu
The final step in this process is to sit down with
your management team and decide how to
address your plans. The best method is to establish company water conservation/use policy. By
doing so, every new and existing employee will be
able to learn and follow your expectations for
water management. By developing a policy document, you are also showing legislators and regula-
Bodie V. Pennisi is an Assistant Professor of
Floriculture, Horticulture Dept., The University of
Georgia, 770-228-7244, e-mail: bpennisi@uga.edu.
11
Contacts and Information Sources
Organization/Individual
Responsibilities
Address
Phone Number
Georgia Department of
Agriculture, Pesticide
Division
Questions regarding antisiphon requirements for
irrigation system s.
Agriculture Building
19 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-4958
www.agr.state.ga.us
Geologic Survey Branch
Environmental Protection
Division
Regulations concerning
water well drinking
standards.
Georgia DNR
19 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Suite 400
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-4807
www.state.ga.us/dnr/
environ — Geologic
Survey Branch
Department of Biological
and Agricultural
Engineering, University of
Georgia
Questions related to wellhead protection or ground
water on a farm.
Extension Unit
Landrum Box 8112, GSU
Statesboro, GA 30460
912-681-5653
www.bae.uga.edu
Drinking W ater Program
Environmental Protection
Division
Questions regarding public
drinking water.
Georgia DNR
205 Butler St SE
Floyd Towers East, Ste. 1152
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-651-5157
www.state.ga.us/dnr/
environ — W ater
Resources Branch
Safe-Drinking W ater
Hotline
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
General drinking water
questions. 8:30 a.m. - 5:00
p.m. EST
401 M Street SW
(Mail Code 4604)
W ashington, DC 20460
1-800-426-4791
www.epa.gov/safewater
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
General drinking water
questions.
U.S. EPA Region IV
61 Forsyth St SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-562-9424
www.epa.gov/region4
W ater Protection Branch
Environmental Protection
Division
General water quality
questions.
Georgia DNR
4229 International Parkway
Suite 101
Atlanta, GA 30354
404-675-6240
404-675-1664
www.state.ga.us/dnr/
environ — W ater
Protection Branch
Pollution Prevention
Assistance Division
Pollution prevention
references
Georgia DNR
7 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Suite 450
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-651-5120
1-800-685-2443
www.p2ad.org
Robert A. Aldrich and
John W . Bartok Jr.
Greenhouse engineering.
NRAES-33
National Resources
Agricultural and Engineering
Service. 1994
Karen L. Panter
Steven E. Newman
Reagon M. W askom
Pollution Prevention for
Colorado commercial
greenhouses. SCM-206.
Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension
Sharon L. Von Broembsen
Mike Schnelle
Best Management Practices
(BMPs) for nurseries to
protect water quality. E951, W ater Quality Handbook for Nurseries.
Department of Entomology
and Plant Pathology
Oklahoma State University
Cooperative Extension
Service
12
http://zoospore.okstate.
edu/nursery/recycling/shy.
html
Reagon M. W askom
Best Management Practices
for irrigation practices. XCM
173. August, 1994.
Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension
Don W ilkerson
Irrigating Greenhouse
Crops. From Texas Greenhouse Management Handbook.
Texas Agricultural Extension
Service
Don W ilkerson
Treating and recycling
irrigation runoff. From Texas
Greenhouse Management
Handbook.
Texas Agricultural Extension
Service
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
U.S. EPA/NSCEP
PO Box 42419; Cincinnati, OH 45242-0419
Phone: 1-800-490-9198 or 1-513-490-8190
M-F 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. EST (www.epa.gov/ncepihom)
Drinking from Household Wells, EPA 570/9-90-013
LEAD In Your Drinking Water, EPA 810-F-93-001
Protecting Our Ground Water, EPA 813-F-95-002
Citizens Guide to Pesticides, EPA
University of Georgia, Cooperative Extension Service
Ag Business Office; Room 203, Conner Hall, UGA
Athens, GA 30602
Phone: 706-542-8999 (http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications/alpha_list.html)
Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service, Cooperative Extension
Cornell University
152 Riley-Robb, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701
Phone: 607-255-7654 (www.osp.cornell.edu/vpr/outreach/programs/ageng.html)
Home Water Treatment, NRAES-48. Includes water-treatment basics, physical and chemical treatments,
USEPA Primary Drinking Water Standards and health advisories, and pesticide products that contain
USEPA drinking-water contaminants. (120 pp.)
13
Appendix
An Example of Local Ordinance
Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Ordinance
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CODE OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY WITH
RESPECT TO WATER CONSERVATION — OUTDOOR LANDSCAPE WATERING
SCHEDULE — PREVENTION OF WATER WASTING; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
The Commission of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, hereby ordains as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 5-3, entitled “Water,” of the Code of Athens-Clarke County is hereby amended
by adding a new Article 7 thereto as follows:
“ARTICLE 7. WATER CONSERVATION
Section 5-3-120. Purpose and Policy.
The implementation of Athens-Clarke County’s comprehensive water conservation program
serves two main purposes: to optimize the effective use of this essential natural resource and to
decrease the amount of water used overall. Water conservation is not just for times of drought or
water shortage. It is something citizens should do every day. Sound water use practices reduce the
amount of stress placed on vital resources, both by limiting water withdrawals and by decreasing
wastewater discharges. Conserving water reduces wear and tear on major infrastructures such as
water and wastewater treatment plants and the distribution and collection systems that deliver
water and collect wastewater, and can postpone or eliminate the need for making major
investments in new infrastructure. Consistently using less water helps provide for greater
flexibility and more alternatives during times when there is a water shortage.
Section 5-3-121. Application. This article applies to all water drawn by residential and nonresidential customers from the Athens-Clarke County water supply system.
Section 5-3-122. Outdoor Landscape Watering Schedule.
A. Definitions. For the purposes of this section the following definitions shall apply:
1. “Outdoor landscape watering” means lawn and garden watering.
2. “Spray irrigation” means the use of irrigation devices that measure the water used in
gallons per minute.
3. “Drip irrigation” means the use of irrigation devices that measure the water used in gallons
per hour.
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4. “Hand watering” means the watering of plant material and lawns by the use of watering
cans, hand-held hoses, and other hand-held watering tools.
B. Outdoor Landscape Watering Schedule. Except for those activities exempted in Sections 5-3124, outdoor landscape watering is allowed as follows:
1. Odd-numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, except that
spray irrigation is prohibited between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
2. Even-numbered or unnumbered addresses may water on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Saturdays, except that spray irrigation is prohibited between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and
6:00 p.m.
3. All outdoor landscape watering is prohibited on Fridays.
4. During declared drought conditions under Article 6, outdoor watering will be allowed only
during the scheduled hours on the scheduled days as regulated by Article 6.
Section 5-3-123. Prevention of Water Wasting. The following uses of water are defined as “wasting
water” and are prohibited at all times:
1. Failure to repair or to isolate and by-pass a leak, including a broken sprinkler head or
emitter, a leaking valve, faucet, pipe or toilet;
2. Use of irrigation systems or watering methods that allow potable water to flow into the
public rights of way such as alleys, streets, gutters, or storm water drainage system or onto
any other person’s property;
3. Operation of an irrigation system:
a. with a broken head or emitter.
b. with a head directing spray onto an impermeable surface, or
c. operating an irrigation system during a rain event exceeding one-quarter inch.
4. The use of water to wash down impermeable driveways, parking areas and sidewalks by
direct hosing, except as permitted as follows:
a. by use of a hose or pressure washer equipped with a positive action quick release
shutoff valve or nozzle no more than twice a year; or
b. when required properly to prevent or eliminate materials or conditions dangerous to the
public health and safety.
5. The use of water to wash any vehicle including, but not limited to, any automobile, truck,
van, bus, motorcycle, boat or trailer, whether motorized or not, except by the use of a handheld bucket or similar container, or a hose or pressure washer equipped with a positive
action quick release shutoff valve or nozzle.
5-3-124. Exceptions to the Restrictions of Section 5-3-122 and 5-3-123.
1. The provisions of this Article are not applicable to the uses of water, which are necessary for
essential government services, such as police, fire and other similar emergency services.
2. Drip irrigation and/or hand watering are not subject to the hourly limits of the outdoor
landscape-watering schedule.
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3. Newly installed lawns may be watered every day for a maximum of ten days following
installation. Following the initial ten-day period, new lawns may be watered every other
day for ten days. After 20 days, the new lawns must adhere to the restrictions above. A
permit shall be obtained from the Public Utilities Department and posted on the property in
the same manner as a building permit.
4. Landscaping businesses and garden centers may water stocked plants.
5. Irrigation contractors may use water during installation and as needed for proper
maintenance and adjustments only.
Section 5-3-125. Enforcement; Civil Surcharges; Penalties
A. A customer of the Athens-Clarke County Water Utilities system shall be responsible for all
violations of the provisions of this Article that occur in connection with water that passes
through the meter for which the customer is billed by the authority.
B. Authority to enforce this article is hereby granted to Athens-Clarke County Department of
Public Utilities personnel, as designated by the director of Public Utilities, police officers,
marshals, deputy marshals or code enforcement officers.
C. Notification Process. Whenever any Athens-Clarke County personnel with the authority to
enforce this section has reasonable cause to believe that a person is violating any of the
provisions of this ordinance, a warning notice shall be issued to the customer or to the
person responsible for the violation or its correction. The notice required by this paragraph
shall be served by personal delivery or by certified mail/return receipt requested. The notice
shall include a description of the violation, order that it be corrected, cured, or abated
immediately or within such specified time as the Department determines is reasonable
under the circumstances. The notice shall also warn that more severe measures, such as
surcharges added to the water bill and/or interruption of water service may be imposed
unless the violation ceases within the time provided. The time given to cease the activity
may range from a requirement for immediate compliance to a longer period, depending
upon the facts and circumstances of each case. If the remedy is accomplished, then there
shall be no further action against that person or customer as to that specific violation.
D. If the warning notice to cease or abate is not complied with within the specified time
period, the Director of Public Utilities may impose a surcharge to the water bill as follows:
1. First Notice of Continuing Violation: $75.00 surcharge
2. Second Notice of Continuing Violation: $150.00 surcharge
3. If the Department determines that a user or the responsible party has failed to comply
with the order to repair or abate, the Director of Public Utilities may interrupt water
service to that address and service shall not be restored until the required action to cease
the violation is complete and all surcharges and standard reconnection fees have been
paid. Notice of interruption of service must be given at least one day prior to
interruption.
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E. Athens-Clarke County will not be liable for damage to property resulting from the
discontinuance of water service in accordance with this ordinance.
F. Appeals. Any person aggrieved by the levying of an administrative surcharge as provided
for above or by having the water supply terminated by the director of public utilities shall
have the right to appeal the surcharge of the termination to the administrative hearing
officer pursuant to section 1-5-1 of the Code of Athens-Clarke County within three days
from the date of the surcharge on the water bill is due or within three days of the date of
termination of water service. If an appeal to the notice of termination is filed prior to
termination, then the termination will be stayed pending appeal.
G. The civil remedies provided for herein are not exclusive and in addition to such civil
remedies, it is unlawful for any person to violate the provisions of this Article, and any
person who violates these provisions shall be subject to the punishment provided in Section
1-1-5 of the Code of Athens-Clarke County. Each day such violation is committed or is
permitted to continue shall be a separate offense. All citations issued for violation pursuant
to section 1-1-5 of the Code of Athens-Clarke County shall be returnable to the municipal
court of Athens-Clarke County.”
SECTION 2. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
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Action Plan Form
Use this action plan form to organize your ideas and to map out the activities necessary to
complete your goals. Be sure to make the time frame realistic. Changes in basic resources take
time. Please consult the list of references provided if you need additional information to develop
this plan.
Area of
Concern
Risk
Rating
Planned Action
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Time
Frame
Estimated
Cost
Bulletin 1279
Reviewed March 2009
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